TSARAAM

archaeological project

In recent years, some Xiongnu archaeological sites
in the Trans Baikal area have been thoroughly and systematically excavated.
However, elite barrows, which usually contain important information about
social structure, material culture, and the art of a particular society, are
neither well-known nor systematically investigated using archaeological
techniques. The objective of the Tsaraam archaeological project was to
conduct the first systematic archaeological excavation of a Xiongnu elite
burial complex in the Tsaraam valley.

The Tsaraam valley is situated
30 km
to the west of the
town of
Kyakhta
(Kyakhta district of the
Buryatia
Republic
,
Russian Federation
).
Previous archaeological work at the Tsaraam cemetery began in the 19th
century with the discovery of the site by the pioneer of Xiongnu archaeology, J.
Talko-Gryntsevich, in
June of
1896. In
June 1903, he and Ya. S. Smolev excavated five of the graves. All of which
were robbed, and only few artefacts were found. Based on the characteristics
of the burial construction, these burials were correctly assigned to the
Xiongnu period.

In September, 1996 the Trans-Baikal Archaeological
Expedition of the
Institute
of
History
of Material Culture,
Russian
Academy
of Science,
St. Petersburg
,
conducted by Dr. S. Minyaev, initiated a new survey of the Tsaraam valley.
The location of the cemetery was rediscovered and an accurate map was made of
the site marking the location of all barrows. Almost all barrows of the
Tsaraam cemetery are situated in the central part of the valley. The largest
barrow of the cemetery is located in the northern part of the valley and
300 m
to the southwest, a
line of seven additional large barrows stretches from the northeast to
southwest. Agriculture has been carried on in the valley since the 19th
century and in more recent times mechanized plowing has been used to prepare
fields on a fairly large scale. As a result of these activities, many of the
stone surface features marking burial areas have been destroyed.

In 1997, the expedition began the excavation of
the cemetery. The archaeological evidence, accumulated at that time,
suggested the presence of human sacrifices in the Hsiung-nu burial practice —
the fact which is confirmed also by written sources. A number of excavations
showed that interred in the sacrifice burials were persons who died a violent
death, and who, it seems, were ‘sacrifice' their master to the other world
(cf. for details: Миняев 1985; 1998:
70-71).

The largest barrow no. 7, located in the northern
area of the valley, was chosen as the main object of investigations. The
excavation, carried out here, included both the kurgan itself and the area
surrounding it, where separate surface stones suggested the presence of small
barrows with disturbed embankments. The total excavated area, including that
of
Kurgan
7,
amounted to 7700 sq. meters. Taking into account that stone courses probably
had been displaced during ploughing up, the entire area under investigation
was excavated without gaps down to the natural soil, irrespective of the
presence of any signs of burials on the surface. As a result a tomb complex consists of a large, central barrow and 10 additional burials of
much smaller size were investigated in the 1997-2005 field seasons. The
additional burials are currently interpreted as sacrificial interments. The ten sacrifice
burials were found ranged in two lines, 5 graves in each, on the western
and eastern sides of
Kurgan
7 and
undoubtedly formed a single burial complex with
the latter.

The central barrow no.7 is largest Xiongnu barrow
in
Russia
and one from largest Xiongnu barrows, known to the present time in a world.
The barrow was plainly visible on the modern ground
surface. The surface construction of
the barrow consisted of a quadrangle-shaped soil platform, covered by clay
and having the dimensions of 28 x
29 meters
and the height of approximately
1 meter
. The
entrance chamber is
20 m
long and extends to the south of the central platform. The perimeter walls of
the platform and the entrance were
sided with stone slabs and
marking the perimeter of the walls we discovered several stone stelae, some
of which were intact and others of which had fallen away from the platform.
The area of a burial pit feature quite nearly approximated the extent of the
mound measuring 26 x
26
meters
.

The
upper part of the burial pit was divided into nine sections by single
longitudinal and seven perpendicular walls constructed of wooden logs,
unfired clay bricks, and soil. Wooden
logs stacked one upon another sometimes having a thickness of two to three
logs. The same wooden longitudinal wall divided the sloping entrance chamber to the
barrow (dromos) into western
and eastern compartments. Four layers
of wooden boards and logs were used in the construction of the passageway.

Fragments of a Chinese bronze mirror were found in
the center of the longitudinal partition in situ under one of the logs of the
second level. The fragments showed signs of burning and melting and therefore
the mirror might have been used in a ceremonial context.

During of the 2000-2004 field seasons
four stone covers of a burial camera
were found at the burial pit lower then the partitions. The upper cover
consisted of large stone plates, wooden logs and a thin stratum of a reed.
The second cover consisted of stone plates and a thin stratum of a reed. The
third and forth covers consisted of stone plates, a stratum of pebble stones
and charcoal, a stratum of birch's cortex and macadam. Between third and
forth covers remains of Chinese chariot was found. Along the northern edge of
this third stone layer and beneath the stones themselves was discovered a
great quantity of faunal material in the form of small and large animal
bones. These included the skulls of horse (Equid), cattle (Bovid), sheep and
goats (Ovid and Caprid) as well as the bones of the leg and tail sections of
these species.

In 2005 an
internal construction consisting of an external wooden chamber, an internal
wooden chamber, and finally, a wooden coffin was investigated. A lot
prestigious objects like jade pendants, Chinese silk items, lacquered items,
burial dolls, and ceramics of indigenous manufacture, felt carpets, and jade,
unique gold plaques, silver, bronze and iron implements were found. Future
analyses of the finds and skeletal material will almost certainly provide important
insights to the society and culture of the Xiongnu alliance.